Oh, you're so funny! No, I decided just to eat at Eleven Madison Park. Trying the Per Se wait list seemed silly - I'll be in NYC another time.
I was going to say, we sure don't need a thread on fancy restaurants in NYC. That's all there is. Now, information/suggestions on good low- to mid- range eateries in NYC may be useful.
Not sure what you mean by "that's all there is" but a friend just ate a Le Bernadin and said it was mind blowing. I'd love to try it.
I mean there are a million high-end eateries in NYC so it's like having a thread titled "Wiener Schnitzels in Vienna???"
I should have been more clear. I meant "fancy" like 3 Michelin stars or NY times 4 stars or perhaps a place of that level that is underrated, or even warning that some place is overrated. So, really, there aren't a million of that kind of fancy.
That's what Yelp and restaurant reviews are for. It's impossible for a forum with so little traffic like this one to cover the billions of high-end restaurants in NYC. OTOH, identifying good value-for-money eateries is more useful here since you can't really find that on Yelp (you can't do research on a restaurant that you don't know exists).
Eleven Madison is the best restaurant in NYC at the moment, and I don't think it's particularly close, so you definitely made the right decision there. Meanwhile, speaking of overrated, I just cannot, for the life of me, understand why anyone rates Le Bernadin highly. I've eaten there for years and every time it's fish swimming in butter sauce. Of all the great French restaurants in the city, how this place manages to maintain its ratings is one of the great mysteries of NYC food culture. (Well, that, and the annointing of David Change as an interesting person because he sometimes swears. Oooooh!) I turned down a free meal there this summer because, honestly, I'd rather get a salad across the street. Oh, and it's not because I'm particularly fancy, it just happens to be a block away from our office, so recruiting lunches tend to go there. Now, a meal at Marea, on the other hand? Sign me up for that.
Maybe because it has "Le" in its name(?). That said, I've never eaten there ... just taking an educated guess.
Was wondering when you were going to find this thread - since you probably have eaten at these places more than anyone on these boards. My friend is a chef so I have some faith in his ability to judge. I agree with you on David Chang though - throw in some kimchi and suddenly you are a revolutionary.
Exciting. Hopefully, eating at 10pm won't make me crabby. I made a lunch reservation at Ko. I heard it was worth it from a friend. Do you disagree? That good? My wife might kill me if I add another opulent meal to my trip. (This year has been a little out of control for me and food.)
I haven't been to Momofuku Ko but it sounds interesting and you should check it out and decide for yourself. I think a lot of his food is at least interesting and decent - just way over-hyped.
I have absolutely nothing against restaurants with "Le" in their name - I'm a huge fan of French food. Well, the Michelin people love it, perhaps they have similar tastes. I have never understood the excitement. I haven't been to Ko, and won't. I don't eat pork, and Ko doesn't accommodate that.* I've eaten at his other restaurants and don't really get all the excitement. Good food, sure, but nothing amazing. I've heard, however, that the pork belly is amazing, so let us know how it is. I think Marea is phenomenal, and it's actually not incredibly opulent, it's mostly seafood, but absolutely delicious. Small plates, so you wont burst Enjoy Eleven Madison, it's fantastic. I was really annoyed I had to miss a lunch there a few weeks ago due to work. *I also don't like strict prix fixe restaurants on principle - I'm the customer, and you cook food for me. You're not an artist staying true to your "creative vision", you're in a service industry. It's not like there's a shortage of people who don't eat pork in the world. That's also why Chang is the epitome of the new wave of foodies who view food as "art". I just like eating stuff.
I'll let you know about Ko. Sorry you can't eat pork. Marea menu does look pretty great, but I think I will save it for my next visit. It certainly says something about a chef when he/she can't make a meal without a particular meat. At the same time, I am a bit more sympathetic to the "food as art" people. There are lots of restaurants, and no particular chef should feel the need to make everyone happy. Eaters can always choose to go elsewhere. For example, Next isn't having any trouble with its elBulli menu - even though it won't accommodate any restrictions.
It makes some sense though especially when there are 10-16 courses. The chef is generally in a better position to decide the order and content of the dishes, including the wine pairings, than you.